Cigarette humidor



1949- E. c. BENTLEY ET AL 2,

CIGARETTE HUMIDOR Filed July 1, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet l lgml mmz /s 4. #5555 mm Patented Jan. 4, 1949 CIGARETTE HUMIDOR EmmettC. Bentley and Wyllis L. Reese,

. Abilene, Tex.

Application July 1, 1947;"Serial No. 758,260

T ,1 Claim. (01. 312-48):

This invention relates to a cigarette, humidor, and more particularly to a humidor that when opened will move the contained cigarettes into dispensing position, and-thatwhen closed will return the cigarettes to a storage compartment within the humidor. H i i It is a principal object of the invention to provide a humidor that with one movement will open the humidor and at the same time display and dispense the cigarettes. A single movement in the opposite direction will return the cigarettes to their storage compartment and-shut the humidor to prevent the ingress of moisture.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, but it is apparent that modifications may be made therein without departing from the spiritof the invention as hereinafter claimed.

Figure, 1 represent a front elevation of the new and improved humidor in its closed position,

Figure 2 is a similar view, partially in section, showing the humidor in opened position.

Figure 3 is a plan View. of the lower portion of the device, showing the cigarettes in dispensing position. i i 1 Figure 4 is an elevation, somewhat enlarged, of the clamps for holding the cigarettes.

Figure 5 is a vertical section through the upper portion of the vertical standard by means of which the humidor is opened or closed.

The humidor comprises two hemispheres ill and H, which in the closed position shown in Figure l of the drawings together represent an outline of the world. The lower hemisphere H is fixed on a base l3, and the upper hemisphere I is fixed. to the upper end of a vertically movable sleeve 15.

The sleeve i is adapted to slide over a similar and smaller sleeve l6, which in turn is adapted to slide over a rod l1, so that the sleeve l5, the sleeve l6, and the rod l1 constitute a telescoping standard. The rod [1, of course, is stationary, and is secured to the lower hemisphere H and the base l3.

A circular container I8 is secured within the lower hemisphere H, and an annular horizontal carriage is secured to the intermediate sleeve Hi. The cigarettes 2| are adapted to be clamped in a plurality of spring clamps 22, which are operable by the sleeve I6 in the vertical movement of the latter to enter or leave the container l8, as will be described more particularly hereinafter.

Each clamp 22 comprises two spring arms individual and a curvedcentral portion 23that is adapted tobe hinged about a horizontal axis. A circular wire spring 25 passes through the curved portion 23, of all the cigarette clamps 22, and the wire spring 2511s secured to the sleeve It so as to be vertically movable therewith. Some or all of the clamps 22 also contain small eyelets 26 on their upper arms,,and a split wire spring 21 is passed through these eyelets 26-tonormally urge the clamps 2,2 outwardly about their pivot 23. When the sleeve I6 is depressed, it will carry with it the wire spring 25 and the clamps 22. The upper portion'of the container I8 is provided with a lip 29 sothat as the clamps 22 travel downwardly, the lip 29 will slide along the lower arm of each c1amp,22 to facilitate the entrance of the clamp 22 within the container l 8, the container I8 being so shaped that it will contain all the clamps 22 verticallywhen the' sleeve I5 is in its lowermost position; During the downward movement of the clamps 22, the arms of the clamps 22 will travel about the pivots 23 to resume a vertical position, and in'd'oing so the clamps 22 will act against the pressure of thewire spring 21. Conversely, when the sleeve I6 is elevatedfthe clamps 22 will be raised and as soon as the upper portions thereof clear the lip 29 of the container 18, the wire spring 21 will act radially outwardly to tilt the clamps 22 outwardly, as indicated in Figure 2.

The lower portion of the upper sleeve I5 contains an aperture 3!, in which a ball-bearing 32 is adapted to roll. A spring arm 33 is fastened to the upper portion of the sleeve I5 and bears against the ball-bearing 32 to keep it in engagement with the contained inner sleeve I6. The upper extremity of the inner sleeve it contains a slot 35 that has a sharp upper edge and a curved lower edge, as indicated in Figure 5, of the drawings. It will be obvious, therefore, that when the upper sleeve I5 is elevated with respect to the sleeve 16, the ball-bearing 3'2 will ride on the surface of the sleeve It until it engages in the slot 35 at the upper extremity of the sleeve it. The ball-bearing 32 will then be caught in the slot 35, and the sleeves l5 and [6 will then be locked against further relative movement. If, however, the upper sleeve 15 is depressed, the ball-bearing 32 will readily leave the slot 35 and permit the sleeve IE to be lowered over the surface of the sleeeve l6.

Relative movement of the sleeve 16 and the rod I! is similarly affected by means of a spring arm 43, which is fixed to the sleeve IS, a ballbearing 44, which rides in a slot in the lower end of the sleeve 16, and a slot 45, which is in the with the sleeve l6, and the clamps 22 will be spring pressed outwardly by the spring 211 to dispensing position.

When the upper hemisphere in is depressed, the clamps 22 will be foldedinwardly by the lip 29 on the container l8, as hereinbeiore mentioned, against the pressure of the spring 21, until .all the clamps 22 are positioned vertically within "the container 18. To avoid contact of the upper hemisphere ID with the cigarettes, and possible crushing of the latter, the slot 45 in the upper portion of the rod H is given a smoother lower curve than the similar lower portion of the slot 35 in the upper portion or the sleeve 15, so that the sleeve l'fi'will slide over the rod f1 before the sleeve =15 slides over the sleeve 16. Thereby the cigarettes 2| will be safely contained within the container l8 before the upper hemisphere l0 approaches the lip 29 of the container 48.

Any desired number of cigarettes 21 may be positioned within the container 18. As shown herein, there are sixteen such cigarettes 21 and clamps 22. 5.2 may be positioned within the clamps 22. These inner clamps 52 are, like the outer clamps 22 pivoted on a horizontal ring secured to the car riage 2.0, and a spring 21' similar to the spring 21 will pivot the clamps 52 to dispensing position when the Jhumidor is opened. Depending on the If desired, an inner rin of clamps What is claimed is:

1. A cigarette humidor, comprising a container open atthe top, a rod fixed to said container and extending axially upwardly thereof, a sleeve telescopically slidable upwardly and downwardly on said rod, a cigarette carriage fixed to said sleeve and movable therewith to and from an upwardly extended cigarette dispensing position and a retracted cigarette storing position inwardly ofsaid container, a spring loaded latch carried by one oi said sleeves and rod to limit telescopic movement of said sleeve in an upward direction, a second sleeve telescopically slidable upwardly and downwardly on said first-mentioned sleeve, a

ciosure for said container fixed to said second sleeve and movable therewith to and from open and closed positions relative to said container, a

second spring loaded latch carried by one of said sleeves to limit movement of said second sleeve in an upward container opening direction, said latches being releasable upon downward pressure :on'isaid cover when the same is in said'open position, and said first-named latch being formed to release prior to said second latch whereby said carriage is retracted into said container prior to downward movement of said second sleeve relative to said first mentioned sleeve.

' C. BENTLEY.

WYLLIS L. REESE.

REFERENCES CIT-ED The following references are of 'record in the file of this patent:

UNITED'STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,339,067 Marek May 4, 1920 1,737,644 Conner Dec. 3, 1929 1,896,463 Oiferman Feb. '7, 1933 2,240,215 Hutchinson Apr. 29, 1-941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 473,567 Great Britain 1937 534,511 Germany Sept. 30, 1931 

